Various closures are available for squeeze-bottle dispensing containers. Squeeze bottles are often used for packaging soap, shampoo, hair conditioner, and other shower and bath related products. In order to improve dispensability, convenience and marketing appeal, "inverted" squeeze containers have been introduced with bottom-mounted dispensing valves. Such a container configuration has been most commonly utilized in shower and bath products.
A valve for use in inverted containers is desirably pressure-actuatable to dispense a fluid product upon squeezing of the container. After dispensing, the valve permits a "suckback," breathing-in air so that the container returns to its unsqueezed interior volume. After breathing, the valve desirably self-seals to prevent leakage from the container until squeezed again. Conventional self-sealing dispensing valves designed for this application have displayed poor or inconsistent performance. One problem, for example, is that some such valves may leak the product.
A common dispensing valve style includes a flexible slitted diaphragm provided at an opening of the container. When the bottle is squeezed, the diaphragm flexes outwardly, thereby dilating the slit to permit the fluid to discharge. Such slitted-diaphragm valves are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,646,945, 4,728,006, 4,991,745, 5,033,655, and 5,071,017. Other types of self-sealing dispensing valves are also known, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,768,705, 5,125,539.
Therefore, a need exists for an improved self-sealing pressure-actuated dispensing valve which overcomes the deficiencies of known valves and which exhibits good performance. More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a valve for an inverted container which dispenses fluid, and then seals to effectively prevent any further passage of fluid due to gravity.
Some valves have a flexible element, such as a membrane or the above-described diaphragm, which is movable relative to other fixed elements between open and sealed positions. In order to ease manufacture, assembly and repair, it may be desirable to provided such elements as separate components, as opposed to a unitary structure. Therefore, an improved valve structure is needed which facilitates the securing together of such elements. Additionally, it is desirable to manufacture and assemble such a valve in a manner that is economical and which ensures reliable performance. Thus, a simple valve design is needed, as well as an improved method for assembling such a valve.